The effects of color on human feelings Human feelings are affected by color unconsciously. Manufacturers have discovered by trial and error that sugar sells badly in green wrappings, that blue foods are considered by consumers as tasteless, and that cosmetics should never be packaged in brown. These discoveries have grown into a whole discipline of color psychology. Some of our preferences are clearly psychological. White is the color that represents purity, youth, and cleanliness. In the Western tradition the bride wears white, a custom dating back to ancient Greece. There, the temple that was dedicated to the goddess Athene was made of white marble. It led to the linking of the color to virginity. White is associated with neutrality and peace hence the white flag is for surrender or parley ( 和谈 ). For the same reason it is a neutral color that continues to be the preferred backdrop on websites and the ‘’color” behind the color. White is also known for symbolizing reverence (崇敬) , truth, innocence and so forth. Black is a multi-dimensional color that can mean classic or new. It has an ominous ( 不祥的 ) characteristic symbolizing death. Therefore in Western cultures it is used for funerals. It has an air of intelligence ( graduation robes ) , marked with rebellion (the bad guy )and mystery (space ). It typically symbolizes power, sophistication, formality, elegance and so on. Dark blue is the color of the night sky and therefore associated with clam, while yellow is a color in association with energy. For primitive men, activity during the day meant hunting and attacking, in which he soon saw red, the color of blood and fire. So it was natural that green, the complementary color to red, is associated with passive defense. Experiments have shown that colors have direct psychological effects. People, when exposed to bright red, show an increase in breathing rate, heartbeat, and blood pressure. Since red has an implication of excitement, it is chosen as the signal for danger. Exposure to pure blue has exactly the opposite effect, because it is a calming color. Some analyses show that vivid yellow can produce a more basic state of alertness and alarm. So fire engines and ambulances in some advanced countries are now rushing around in bright yellow.